NHRA NEWSMAKERS

TODD AND CAPPS DEDICATE VICTORIES TO MEDLEN: In an emotional winner’s circle, Top Fuel winner J.R. Todd and Funny Car victor Ron Capps both dedicated their O’Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals trophies to their late friend Eric Medlen, who died March 23 as a result of injuries sustained in a Funny Car testing accident March 19 at Gainesville (Fla.) Raceway. “All week long I worried how long it would take me to win a race so I could dedicate it to Eric and John Force Racing,” Todd said following his fifth career victory and second of the season. “I want to win every race and every final round I am in. I know Eric was looking down on us. We needed it for sure.” Said Capps: "We're not mourning Eric's loss, we're celebrating his life today. I miss him so badly. I didn't even want to race this weekend but Eric wouldn't have wanted it any other way. This trophy is going straight to John Medlen and I'm gonna have another one made for his mom (Mimi)."

* SAMPEY EXTENDS WINNING STREAKS: Angelle Sampey, the most prolific female winner in NHRA history with 41 event victories, extended two streaks with her race win Sunday at Houston Raceway Park. She extended her personal streak of winning at least one race per season to 12. In addition, she kept the O’Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals Pro Stock Motorcycle trophy in a woman’s hands. It is the fifth consecutive season that a female driver has won the two-wheel category at Houston Raceway Park. Sampey started the streak with a win in ‘03 and was followed by two straight Karen Stoffer victories in ’04-’05. Sampey also won the race last season.

* BAZEMORE JOINS ELITE TF & FC NO. 1 QUALIFIER CLUB: Whit Bazemore powered his Matco Tools dragster to the No. 1 qualifying position at Houston Raceway Park and in the process became the 15th driver in NHRA history to earn No. 1 qualifying honors in both Top Fuel and Funny Car. Bazemore earned 29 No. 1 positions during his lengthy Funny Car career. The other 14 drivers on the distinguished list include, in alphabetical order: Kenny Bernstein, Mike Dunn, Leroy Goldstein, Frank Hawley, Tommy Johnson Jr., Scott Kalitta, Butch Maas, Ed McCulloch, Tom McEwen, Mark Oswald, Don Prudhomme, Gary Scelzi, Mike Snively and Gene Snow.

* TRAN LEADS XPLOD SPORT COMPACT WINNERS AT MOROSO: NHRA Xplod Sport Compact Series pioneer Kenny Tran ended a two-year winless drought with his Hot Rod victory Sunday at Moroso Motorsports Park in Jupiter, Fla. Other pro category winners at the 2007 NHRA season-opener included Ken Scheepers (Modified), Jeremy Lookofsky (Honda Tuning Magazine All Motor), Jason Hunt (Pro FWD) and Brad Personett (Pro RWD).

COMING ATTRACTIONS

* SUMMITRACING.COM NHRA NATIONALS, LAS VEGAS, THE STRIP AT LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY, APRIL 12-15: Defending race winners Melanie Troxel, Cruz Pedregon and Kurt Johnson will try to repeat their victories when the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series makes its first of two annual stops at Bruton Smith’s spectacular Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

* SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT NHRA SOUTHERN NATIONALS, COMMERCE, GA., ATLANTA DRAGWAY, APRIL 26-29: Race No. 6 in the NHRA POWERade Countdown to the Championship moves to scenic Atlanta Dragway, often the site of some thrilling side-by-side finishes at more than 300 mph. Defending winners include Doug Kalitta, Tony Pedregon, Dave Connolly and Antron Brown.

* O’REILLY NHRA MIDWEST NATIONALS, MADISON, ILL., GATEWAY INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY, MAY 4-6: The NHRA’s annual visit to St. Louis comes nearly two months earlier this season, as Tony Schuamcher, Tony Pedregon, Mike Edwards and Chip Ellis will try to defend their victories from ’06.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

427: The number of NHRA national events that John Force had competed in consecutively before missing this weekend’s O’Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals at Houston Raceway Park in Baytown, Texas. In a show of respect for Eric Medlen and to let his team members continue to grieve for their recently departed teammate, Force decided to pull all three of his race teams from Funny Car competition at the event. The last time Force missed an NHRA national event was at Brainerd, Minn. in 1985. Force attended the 12 other national events during the ’85 season.

DRIVERS TELL ALL

TODD SAYS WINNING A TEAM EFFORT: While J.R. Todd’s victory provided some personal comfort as he continues to mourn the loss of friend Eric Medlen, it also provided his team with a sense of confidence as it continues to regroup after crew chief Jimmy Walsh decided to leave the team for a position with Kenny Bernstein’s Funny Car operation in late February. “I’ve never wanted to win a race as bad as I did today,” Todd said. “I wanted to prove that we could win after Jimmy went over to (Kenny) Bernstein. I think a lot of people thought it was over for us. We have a great bunch of guys and a great team. That is what it takes.”